The Kansas City Chiefs Week 1 matchup vs. the Arizona Cardinals is now just a few days away. With Patrick Mahomes and company about to start a new year, let’s make some bold Chiefs Week 1 predictions before the Chiefs, Cardinals matchup kicks off.

The 2022 NFL season is a transitional campaign for the Chiefs after revamping both sides of the ball this offseason. Despite the changes, the Super Bowl is still the expectation for Andy Reid, Mahomes, and the rest of the organization.

Traveling to the desert to face the Cardinals is no easy task to start the season, but getting off to a winning start is critical for KC, as the AFC West division is the toughest in football this season (and maybe the toughest of all time).

So with Reid and Mahomes’ sixth season together about to commence, here are some bold Chiefs predictions for the Chiefs and Cardinals Week 1 clash.

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4. It’s an Isiah Pacheco party

The biggest buzz around Chiefs training camp this season surrounded seventh-round running back out of Rutgers, Isiah Pacheco. The unheralded ball-carrier looked NFL-ready right out of the gate and should push starter Clyde Edwards-Helaire for playing time as the year goes along.

The bold Chiefs Week 1 prediction is that the team will get a comfortable lead to start the game, and then Pacheco will get to have his coming out party in the second half.

The Chiefs will play plenty of nail-biters this season. Along with playing the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Denver Broncos twice, KC also has the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Los Angeles Rams on their docket.

Many of these games will come down to the last drive. The Chiefs, Cardinals opener will not. And rookie RB Isiah Pacheco will be the beneficiary of that score line.

3. The Chiefs D makes Cardinals QB Kyler Murray go on the run

The Chiefs spent both their first-round picks this year on defense. Washington CB Trent McDuffie came to KC at pick No. 21, and Purdue DE George Karlaftis made it to the team at No. 30.

Karlaftis is of particular interest as a second outside pass-rusher is just what the Chiefs needed to become an above-average defensive line. The rookie edge-rusher will take pressure off Frank Clark on the opposite side and allow Chris Jones to do what he does best on the inside.

This is good news for the Chiefs but bad news for Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in Week 1.

Arizona has the 25th-ranked O-line in the NFL in 2022, according to PFF. Murray will also be without his best receiver and safety blanket DeAndre Hopkins for the first six weeks of the season as he serves his PED suspension. This all means Murray will end up running for his life against the new-look Chiefs front.

2. Tyreek who?

The boldest Chiefs Week 1 prediction has to be about what the offense will look like without superstar WR Tyreek Hill. The answer is: great!

There is no single player in the NFL (and probably NFL history) who can do what Tyreek Hill does. That’s why it was smart of the Chiefs not to try and get their “new” Hill. Instead, the Cheifs brought in a variety of WRs with different sizes and skill sets.

This new-look group on the offensive side of the ball will make Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs less predictable than last season. The QB can now spread the ball around to Juju Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson, and Mecole Hardman, and not just focus on Hill and Travis Kelce.

1. Chiefs 35, Cardinals 17

When the Chiefs and Cardinals meet up in Week 1, it will be a one-sided blowout for the Chiefs. Kansas City improved in several ways this offseason, while Arizona took a step back, especially until Hopkins returns.

Despite winning 11 games last season, the Cardinals disappointed down the stretch (yet again) in 2021. This year, they will start that frustrating failure from the jump as the bold Chiefs Week 1 prediction is that they stomp Kyler Murray and company out of the gates.

This will be a big win for the Chiefs both on the scoreboard and in the big picture as it will set them up nicely for their big Week 2 divisional tile vs. the LA Chargers.